Spicy Tomato and Peanut Soup

By
Angie Windheim
– January 20, 2011Posted in: Recipes

Spicy Tomato and Peanut Soup

How much should I put in the bowl? Will there be enough for seconds and leftovers tomorrow?

I always have a sense of panic when I make a batch of my take on African Peanut Soup. I always want more, but so does Ben and so does Brian.

And even as we are painstakingly wiping the last drips out of the bowl with our sliced baguette, we are all thinking of how good it will taste tomorrow for lunch or an after-school treat. We eyeball each other, especially Ben and I, with warnings to “stay away from MY soup.”

Spicy Tomato and Peanut Soup warms up a chilly day and body. The richness of the rice and peanut butter also make the soup very filling. While the soup is quick and easy to prepare, it feels like a special night when I serve it up.

Ingredients list

  • 1 TBsp peanut oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes and juices
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 4 cups non-fat chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup creamy low-fat peanut butter
  • 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup uncooked, long-grain white rice
Topping (optional)
  • 6 green onions, chopped
  • 1/4 cup lightly salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Cooking Method
Heat a medium-sized saucepan and peanut oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic to the pan and saute for about one minute.
Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices, tomato sauce,  chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, the creamy peanut butter, cayenne pepper and salt.
Whisk to thoroughly combine all of the ingredients and allow the soup to come to a boil.
When the soup begins to bubble, add in the rice and reduce the heat to low. Cover the soup and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the rice from coating the bottom of the pan. Meanwhile, toss the chopped green onion and peanuts together in a small bowl.  When ready to serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the green onion and peanut mixture. The soup is great without the garnish, but the green onions and peanuts take it up another level of yu-um.
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